


Love That's Mine to Give

by EmeraldSage



Series: The Holiday Collection [26]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Existing Relationship, M/M, Prompt Day 26: Dressed Up, RusAmeHoliday, With a surprise at the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-12 10:43:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9068209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldSage/pseuds/EmeraldSage
Summary: RusAme Holiday Prompt #26: Dressed Up





	

**Author's Note:**

> Felt like I was due for one of these, wrote it half sleep deprived, sorry for any weirdness thrown in!

            The rain pounded furiously on the glass windows, and he could feel the frown he’d been suppressing all day finally twitch onto his face. He’d been pacing relentlessly on the elaborately patterned carpet in the dressing room his partner’s father had given for their disposal. Everything seemed to have gone wrong from the early morning, and led straight into the furor of the day. That morning, he’d woken unexpectedly early and had to suffer through an early breakfast with his partner’s irritable father and overprotective elder brother. Then, when he had planned to spend the afternoon with his lover, perhaps heading out on an excursion to explore more of the beautiful English countryside where the Kirkland’s dwelled, said lover was ambushed by his younger cousins. They dragged him out all the way into London to see Winter Wonderland. And despite the fact that they were residing in an elaborate townhouse within an hour’s driving distance of the major city center, Alfred had only returned a little over an hour ago, soaked to the bone – caught in the unexpected downpour – and had run to shower and change before he became late to their long awaited evening out together.

            Now, it _was_ evening, and he was waiting for his partner to join him for a luxurious dinner date with a special surprise planned for the end. Not that his lover knew about the surprise, that is. And it was _raining_. No, it wasn’t _just_ raining, it was like a hurricane was bearing down upon them as he planned their outing. Earlier this morning, it had been as clear as crystal. Unfortunately, that beauty hadn’t lasted into the evening. Damn the weather, he swore mentally.

            He patted his breast pocket, where his surprise lay safely tucked away, and felt the nerves twitch at him. He breathed in deeply; he had nothing to be worried about. He just had to wait for his lover to come out of the dressing room’s walk in closet, appropriately dressed, he hoped, and take the man he loved to dinner. There was nothing to it.

            Only, the looks, the threats, and the promises that had been made to him by his beloved’s family when they found out what he intended to do…when he found out what social circle his _solnyshko_ had grown up in, despite his slightly obnoxious but down-to-earth attitude…. It was all very nerve wracking.

            Ever since he’d arrived in London and lived under the almost constant scrutiny of Alfred’s hawk-eyed family, he’d been on edge. Despite it all, he hadn’t changed his mind about his decision. Not once. And that gave him enough confidence to go through with it. If anything, the look his lover would give him when he saw the surprise he had in mind would make up for any of this anxiety.

            There was a soft rustling in the closet door, a brief hesitation, and he paused staring at the window. It seemed like Alfred had finished changing, but he wondered what the hesitation was for. It was rather unusual for the bold, outgoing, trend-setting young man he knew his lover to be.

            “How do I look?” he heard from behind him, turned, and suddenly it felt as if all the breath had been yanked from his lungs.

            Alfred stood there, in the frame of the closet’s doorway, leaning against the wooden frame, anxiously toying with his cufflinks with long, slender fingers. There was an anxiety in his eyes instead of the cocky assuredness he always carried around him in his gaze, and it didn’t eve take a second for him to register the reason why.

            He had told Alfred that they were going to a very high-end restaurant; he’d made special reservations and everything, and asked his partner to dress nice. But he hadn’t expected what he saw now.

            Even slightly slouched and leaning over the door’s frame, he could see the sleek line that the suit jacket would make once he put it on. The beige dress shirt was obviously new, but it didn’t have any of the creases that were indicative of being purchased from a box. And judging from the way Alfred carried himself - comfortable, but awkward - it was well fitted, perhaps even _tailored_. Knowing the kind of power and resources his partner’s father provided for his son, it wouldn’t be a long leap of logic to assume that it was. In fact, the entire suit - an ashy grey blended with the barest hint of cobalt  & steel, meshing for an enchanting grey with a sapphire sheen threaded through when the light hit it - looked custom made. The tie, a slim fit, deep burgundy Burberry affair from the hint of the label he’d seen, gleamed against pristine beige.

            Breath gone, he stared at his partner, who was fidgeting nervously, “You look incredible,” he breathed, coughing a little to get his breath back. “I didn’t even know you owned a suit. Where did you get it?”

            Alfred flushed, toeing the carpeted ground a bit, which drew his attention to the cartoon superman symbol printed all across his deep navy socks. He bit back a sigh of relief mixed with exasperation; some things never changed. He raised a brow, waiting.

            “Dad had it made, with a different tie though, when we were supposed to go to Grandmother’s 90th birthday a few months ago. I left it here instead of taking it with me; I didn’t think I would need it,” he said, softly, almost inaudibly, and Ivan was unsurprised; it sounded like something the prestigious Arthur Kirkland would make his son wear. And it was definitely something Alfred wouldn’t wear of his own volition, which made him feel warm and fuzzy inside that he _had_ worn it today.

            “You look absolutely _stunning_ ,” he said with a grin, and was given an unusually shy smile in return, though there was definitely something off about it. “I’m glad you wore it. It’s not often I see you dress up like this.”

            Okay, now he _definitely_ knew something was up. Alfred rarely passed up a chance to beam and expound upon people’s complements; he _loved_ being complemented. A tense silence began to develop.

            “Alfred,” he began to say, after a moment, when he was interrupted.

            “Did you mean it?” the younger blurted, and for a split second afterwards, he reminded Ivan of a startled deer: wide-eyed, astonished face, and ready to bolt but couldn’t bring himself to actually do it.

            “Did I mean what?” he asked, and drew closer, curling his arms around his beloved and watching some of the tension lines in Alfred’s shoulders soften, just a bit, “When I called you incredible, stunning? Oh yes, I meant that. You are _beautiful_ , _dorogoy_ , and sometimes I wish you would let yourself see that. I have _always_ thought that.”

            “B-but,” Alfred stuttered, and he sounded so _confused_ that it hurt the taller man, it ached, “But you said it when I came out like _this_ ,” the younger tugged at the dress shirt with vaguely concealed disdain twisting his features, “and I _saw_ your face – you like it, but…”

            “But you don’t,” he said, realization dawning, and he wondered why it had taken him so long to realize that even he’d found himself discomfited with how distressed and uncomfortable Alfred seemed to be. He’d been stunned when the younger had emerged, that was true, but it didn’t change that Alfred was his first priority. Just because this was the first time he’d seen the other dressed up to this extent, and he’d loved it, didn’t mean he was going to ask it of his lover all the time.

            “We don’t have to go out,” he blurted spontaneously, and his lover gaped at him. The surprise he’d hidden in his coat pocket burned slightly, but he almost got the feeling of approval tug within him when Alfred’s expression firmed after the revelation passed. “If you’re not comfortable, I’d rather do something we both liked.”

            After a minute of staring at him piercingly, Alfred smiled, soft and warm like the sunshine piercing through a midday rain storm. “No,” he said, slowly, but there was a smile in his voice, “No, it’s alright. Let’s go. You’ve been planning this for ages; I can handle this suit for a few hours.” _If it makes you happy_ went unsaid, but it was there, hanging between them, and his heart softened.

* * *

            In the end, he’d decided against the surprise when they’d gone to dinner. It had been easy to see Alfred had been uncomfortable, but he’d adjusted and held his own admirably. And once he and Ivan had a good conversation going, he’d slid back into his usual demeanor, only shying away into self-consciousness when someone side-eyed him in one of his bouts of raucous laughter. Ivan had dutifully glared at all of those patrons, who paled rather curiously, and didn’t look back.

            The manager had paid them a visit towards the end of their meal. He had a funny feeling they might not be allowed back; but then again, this _had_ happened before.

            It was the next day, when he allowed his partner to drag him out to the beautiful countryside – like they’d originally planned for the day before – and spent the entire afternoon laughing and joking and wrestling with each other (sometimes, the best part of being rivals before they’d been lovers, was the way they loved to express their disagreement with each other), that his thoughts moved to the burning secret he’d hidden in one of his pockets that day. Did he really need formal suits, a black tie affair, and a pretentious restaurant to go through with it?

            It was a wonderful day: beautiful, sunny, and utterly spontaneous, just like his lover. He wondered if the wreck that happened yesterday had almost been _intentional_.

            Either way, he thought it was the perfect timing.

            Judging by the way blue eyes went wide, and he was _tackled_ in an enthusiastic hug, with his lover chanting “yes, yes, _oh god yes_ ,” after he’d gotten down on bended knee…Alfred rather thought so too.


End file.
